


The Beginning

by Woolverine



Series: Even Shadows Dream [8]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 22:33:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11091312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woolverine/pseuds/Woolverine





	The Beginning

Reyes guided Scott, Drack and the others to the area set aside for the Pathfinder teams. Drack was hassling the others to pay up on a bet they’d had. 

“I knew I was going to win,” the Krogan was crowing, “I knew I was right and you fuckwits were wrong. Ha!” He seemed exultant.

“Not an appropriate time, old man,” Vetra said, making a gesture towards Reyes, who had no idea what they were talking about. 

“Don’t mind me,” Reyes said mildly. “None of my business, I’m sure.”

“Oh goddess, Reyes didn’t even hear your interruption, Drack. How adorable is that!” PeeBee gushed. 

Scott shushed her, and made a stern face at the others. “Quick word, Vidal?”

“Certainly, Ryder.” 

They were close enough to the other teams that Reyes could assume the Tempest people would find their way easily. The two men slipped through the crowd towards the bar Umi was running. Reyes was stunned by Sara’s announcement. Never, even in his most optimistic dreams about today, had he considered she might declare deep feelings - love - for him. Before she had even heard his speech!

Scott ordered two drinks from the asari. “Make ‘em doubles, strongest you’ve got.” He paused, “Not ryncol,” he added. 

Reyes downed his double ‘whiskey’ in one long gulp. Scott pushed the other glass towards him as well. This one, Reyes took in three drafts. 

Umi started to look concerned. “Vidal?” she asked. “What’s happened? I haven’t seen you drink like this since… oh! Of course, the Pathfinder is here.”

“All the Pathfinders are here, Umi,” Reyes replied. 

Umi scoffed. “You know exactly who I mean. Ryder broken your balls again, I suppose.”

“You’ve not met Scott Ryder then, Sara’s twin brother?” He slapped Scott on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, I have. I nearly had to ban him from Kralla’s Song for being too damn cheerful.”

Scott chuckled when Reyes swung round to look at him. “It seems Umi doesn’t like singsongs in her bar.”

“I don’t need to hear any more,” Reyes said. “Umi, give us a moment.”

The Asari nodded and moved away to serve someone else. 

Amber eyes and blue stared at each other. Scott spoke first. 

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen,” he said. He was tapping a slow beat on the counter. 

Reyes propped himself on one elbow and leaned forward. “I certainly wasn’t.”

“Sorry for interrupting you…”

“Needed to be done,” Reyes interposed. 

“Sara has been worrying herself sick about coming here today. She’d half convinced herself you’d found someone else. She does tend to blurt things out when surprised. You kissing her hand knocked her for six. I could feel it.”

“A twin connection?”

“Not much of one, but yeah.”

“Sara - she did mean it?”

Scott nodded. “Totally.”

“Are you sure, Scott? It wasn’t just the surprise?” Reyes reached out and touched Scott’s arm, need apparent in tone and posture. 

“No, not just the surprise. I’ve known how Sara feels about you since our convalescence after the battle with the Archon. She was determined not to tell you because she thought it best for you to get over her, move on.” 

Raeka was starting to speak. “You’d better join the crews, Ryder.  I’ll be right here.”

“Fair enough. Don’t over think things, Reyes. Speak to you later.” Scott hurried away.

Reyes knew the exact moment Sara understood what today was about. Her head swivelled in his direction, mouth wide in a tremendous smile. She turned away again immediately, expression bland and professional once more. Relief flooded Reyes. Despite Sara saying those three words, he had feared… Actually, he wasn’t sure what he had feared. It had been a non-specific dread clawing at his guts. Umi slammed a mug down in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I saw the way Ryder just smiled at you. Here’s an antidote for the booze you downed. You don’t have any sorrows to drown, Vidal. This will sober you up,” the bartender said. 

Reyes was lost for words. “Er, thanks?”

“You should be fully functioning if you and the Pathfinder are going to make up whatever row you had. That rotgut is going to hit pretty soon. I don’t want the blame for you not being able to walk, talk, or fuck. Drink up, Vidal,” Umi ordered.

He shrugged, picked up the mug, and knocked back the contents. Reyes had had Umi’s antidotes before, and the trick was to get it down your throat before your brain had a chance to analyse the taste. The drink burned all the way down his gullet and he felt momentarily queasy as it mixed with the rotgut in his stomach. Then the slight wooziness he had barely noticed was gone. 

“Thanks for caring, Umi,” Reyes said.

“That’s a fucking lie. I don’t care about anyone,” she snarled. Her expression was amused though.  

Reyes started listening to Raeka again. When she announced the first elections would be held in six weeks time, the room went wild with excitement. He felt intense satisfaction at the response. The crowd’s reaction seemed to be one of overwhelming approval. Not long now, and the Democratic Free Port of Kadara would be a proper, independent city state.  Next speech would be Keema revealing her intention to stand for election as mayor. Then Ambassador Morda would pledge to oversee the elections and make sure they were all above board, no corruption or rigging. That wouldn’t take long, the Krogan was terse even for her species. Reyes had no idea what Tann would say. He knew it would be long winded, pompous, probably patronising, and very, very dull. Addison had wanted to make a speech as well. However, she had been overruled by Keema on the grounds that this was not, and never would be, an Initiative colony. Addison was on the platform as a courtesy only.

Sara didn’t look at him again for the rest of the speeches. His eyes never left her, amazed at his good fortune. She loved him. She’d said so in front of her brother and her crew. It had been utterly spontaneous and real. Reyes wanted to shout his joy for everyone to hear. The hole inside his chest was gone, as completely as if it had never existed at all. He was filled with delight, because now he could freely admit that he was overwhelmingly in love with this astonishing woman. The loneliness which had dragged Reyes back all his life was gone.

Reyes didn’t take in anything Tann said, silently urging the Salarian to shut the fuck up so he could grab Sara, kiss her, and show everyone that she was his. Every second seemed an hour. He was fidgeting as much as one of the Ryder twins. The effort spent in maintaining his mask left Reyes with no willpower left to keep his body still. The metres between them were as far as kilometres. Reyes felt something tugging him towards her, a silver thread of love stretched from his soul to hers. 

The second Keema declared that was all the speeches done for today, that it was time to drink, dance, and celebrate, Reyes was surging through the crowd towards Sara.  The music was starting right on cue, and Keema had grabbed Pathfinder Avitus Rix, leading him out to dance. The former Charlatan almost collided with Sara when space suddenly flowed open in front of him, caused by people moving aside for the Human Pathfinder. Her eyes were wide, her expression excited. 

“Reyes!” she gasped, and threw herself at his chest. His arms encircled her automatically and he pressed his cheek against her head. 

“I love you, Sara. I love you,” Reyes said directly into her ear. Though a whisper, his voice was packed with emotion. In answer, Sara pressed a kiss on his neck.

“Dance with me?” she said. 

“Always,” Reyes replied. 

He moved one hand to her hip, the other to her arm. They began to move slowly in time to the music. Sara was gazing up at him with an expression Reyes could only describe as adoring. If this was a dream, then let him stay asleep forever, he thought. She had placed her hands on his lower back and was caressing him in a circular movement, occasionally skimming fingers over his buttocks. He could feel his erection getting heavier and heavier with every touch, every small noise of contentment Sara made. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to have these trousers made so form fitting. There was no excess of fabric to disguise his aroused condition. Sara settled herself more closely against his hips and moaned as her body pressed into his cock. She looked up at him with half lidded eyes, tongue flicking out to moisten her lips. 

“Let’s get out of here,” she said decisively. 

“I’m not going to argue,” Reyes replied, hoarse with desire.

Sara and Reyes didn’t look at each other as they made their way through the room towards the doors. People tried to slow them down, wanting to chat to the Pathfinder, or discuss the day’s events with the smuggler but Sara excused them both with a smile. There wouldn’t be any further delays or interruptions. He used a light touch on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd. All other sensation was muted in contrast to the feel of Sara’s muscles under his fingers. 

Once through the door, Sara turned to Reyes. “Where can we go? Our usual place?” 

“Oh, I think we can do much better than a storage room, or even the back room of a slum bar,” Reyes murmured. 

“The Tempest?”

“The Tempest is in the docks, too far away, love. I can’t wait that long.” He leaned in and placed a light kiss on the side of her neck. 

Sara shivered, both from the touch of his lips, and the passion with which Reyes said ‘love’.

Now they no longer had such a large audience, Reyes slipped his arm round her waist, pulled Sara firmly against his side. She wrapped her arms around him in return, holding on tightly. 

“I don’t think I can wait more than a minute, maybe two, myself,” she said. 

Reyes chuckles. “That’s me warned!” 

With a swift movement, Reyes untangled himself from Sara’s embrace, and flipped her over his shoulder. Sara shrieked with delight as he carried her at speed through the complex. There were one or two Collective members in the corridors, who laughed and cheered as the former smuggler ran past carrying the Pathfinder. 

“Reyes, you madman! Put me down!” Sara commanded, only to be ignored. 

He stopped outside a door right at the back of the headquarters, wriggled Sara around so he could use his omnitool to open it, then carried her through the door. Once inside, Reyes put Sara down in the middle of the small area of free space left in the room. 

Sara shook her head in wonder. “That is the biggest bed I have ever seen, in my whole life, in two different galaxies.”

The bed was at least twice the size of her bed in the Tempest. “Where did you even get such a monstrosity?”

Reyes grinned at her. “It’s an Angaran family bed. Supposed to fit mums, dads, and all the kids.”

“It isn’t Keema’s bed, is it?”

He laughed. “Fuck no. But Keema did move it in here. She hoped I, you and I, might find a use for it.”

“Really? Keema bought a gigantic bed just for us to fuck in?” 

“Absolutely. As soon as she took over this place.”

“Right after you evicted the Outcasts, and I’d run away from you?” Sara was bemused.

“Keema believed that was only a temporary loss of sense on your part, and you’d be back soon enough. She is such a romantic.”

Sara started to laugh too. The bed was piled high with cushions, dozens of them, a squishy rainbow of colours, so many she could barely see its silky blue cover. 

“Why is there an army of cushions?” she asked.

“That’s your fault, Sara.”

“How on earth is it my fault? I’ve never bought even a single cushion.”

“Keema needed to console herself when you didn’t come to your senses and throw yourself at my feet.” Reyes shoved about half the cushions onto the floor.

“With cushions? Why cushions?”

“I never enquired too closely. Mainly because I thought she was insane to think we would ever need the bed, or the cushions, or any of the other things she bought. Every now and then, Keema would wave some item of soft furnishing at me and demand to know what I thought of it, and if I made any noise that she could interpret as approval, she’d say it was for the love nest.” His expression was wry.

Sara started to choke. “Love nest? Are you shitting me?”

“I wish I was. I was drowning in depression without you, and Keema kept buying cushions.”

She threw herself into his arms. “I am beyond sorry I left you that day in Draullir, Reyes. I regretted every second I was away from you, but I didn’t know how to come back. People kept saying I needed to think of my reputation, of what would happen when you were exposed as the Charlatan, and I shouldn’t have listened, I shouldn’t have.”

Reyes kissed away her tears. “They meant it all for the best. They just didn’t understand how deeply we feel for each other. And how could they? When we barely understood our own feelings? It’s over now, we’ve found each other again.”

Sara laid her hand upon his cheek, guided his mouth towards hers. The months of despair and loneliness vanished, dissolved by their kiss. She started moving backwards towards the bed, bringing Reyes with her. When her legs touched the bed, Sara grabbed his shoulders and threw herself backwards, pulling him down with her. Their kiss never faltered. 

He started to caress her breasts, gently squeezing, and Sara moaned against his mouth. When Reyes began to tweak one of her nipples, she arched her back and pressed herself against his hand. 

“You like that, do you?” Reyes murmured.

“I’d like it even better if I were naked. What’s the quickest way to undress me? Still got that boot knife handy?”

His golden eyes widened. “Always. You want me to cut your clothes off?”

“Yes, cut me free.” Her smile was a wicked delight.

Reyes reached down for his knife, as deadly sharp as the day he had fed cheese to her from its blade. “You’ll have to stay very still, Sara. I don’t want to cut you by accident.”

“I can probably manage. Do it, Reyes!”

He sat astride her, put the point of the blade in the v of her neckline and start to carefully cut through and down. When there was enough of a gap in the fabric, Reyes put the knife between his teeth and tore the tunic the rest of the way. Underneath there was a sensible white bra. He tugged at it. 

“This too?” he asked, gripping the knife again. 

Sara nodded, her eyes black with desire. Her breathing was tightly controlled, her hands clutching at the blue throw beneath her. “Everything. It’s all the Pathfinder, cut it all away and free me, Reyes.”

He swallowed, hard. His hands were starting to shake as he slid the knife under the bra band between her breasts and sliced it through. Sara reached up to pull the cloth away so Reyes could see her breasts naked for the first time. Still holding the knife, he pounced forward to lick first one nipple, then the other. She shuddered with pleasure. 

“Finish undressing me,” she whispered.

Sara sat up so he could pull the tunic down off her shoulders and along her arms. While Reyes was doing that she was kissing his chest through the silky fabric of his red shirt. 

“I don’t think even my knife is sharp enough to cut your boots off, love.” 

“I suppose we’ll have to remove them the boring way then.”

Reyes moved off Sara and the bed, taking hold of her left boot and pulling it free of her foot, then the same for the right boot. 

“What about the trousers?” 

Sara smiled at him wickedly. “Is your knife sharp enough?”

“Fuck, I hope so.”

Reyes cut off the two buttons from the waistband. “No, this is going to take too long,” he decided.  He unzipped the trousers and started to pull them down Sara’s body. She lifted her legs to make it easier. He stared at her, now naked apart from a pair of stripy socks and a pair of sensible white knickers. 

“I like the socks,” he chuckled.

“You can leave them on me if you like.”

“I don’t like them that much!” He pulled them from her feet, laughing, threw them over his head. 

“Only one more bit of clothing to go, Reyes. Will you use your knife again?”

“Would you like that, love?”

Sara nodded. “Please.”

“Ah, since you ask so nicely…” He used the blade to cut up through the seams, then pulled the damp cloth away. 

“I never suspected you had these kinds of desires, Sara,” he said, throwing the knife at the wooden cabinet next to the bed. It landed and stuck, with a solid thunk. 

“Me neither, until we had lunch together. Since then I’ve kept picturing you simply leaning forward, slicing through my t-shirt, and licking my tits. It makes me so damn horny every time.”

He closed his eyes briefly, then threw himself onto the bed next to her. His cock was throbbing with need. “How can someone who looks so innocent have such filthy thoughts?”

“Because you are a lucky, lucky man, Reyes Vidal.”

Reyes rolled on top of her, claiming her mouth with his own, hands finally free to explore all of Sara without barrier or inhibition. Sara reached round to dig her fingers into his back, thrusting herself upwards to press her groin against his, trying to rub her body against him.

He pulled away from Sara slightly, in order to look her in the eyes. “I’m the proverbial kid in a candy shop. I don’t know what to taste first, and I want it all right now. I want to take my time, savour every centimetre of your body...”

“But you also want to get straight to fucking me like I’ve never been fucked before?”

“Precisely. I am a greedy man, after all.”

Sara giggled. “I’m horny enough and probably wet enough we could skip the appetizers and go right for the main course. You could check, of course.”

He slid his hand down her body, caressed her mons, then slipped his fingers in to explore her labia. Sara gasped as Reyes found her clit and gently rubbed his thumb over it. 

“Hmm, you do seem ready, but I like to be thorough with these sort of investigations.”

“Indeed?” Sara was struggling to speak. “What other checks do you like to make?”

“A taste test is often essential.”

“Well, if you feel it is essential, I won’t disagree with you.”

Reyes grinned, and swiftly moved down the bed, positioning himself between Sara’s open legs. He used his fingers to spread her labia then pressed his mouth against her wetness, teasing his tongue with agonising slowness up towards Sara’s clit. She panted with increasing speed, fingers tangled in his hair, gasping his name. When he began to flick his tongue lightly over her clit, she started to moan loudly. Hearing Sara’s pleasure inspired him to please her even more. He pushed one finger inside, then two more, stroking her internally. Her noises increased in volume and she started tensing her muscles around his fingers. She was coming to a climax and he sucked her clit gently to help her along. Then her back arched, she shouted his name, and shuddered deeply, again and again. 

“I’d call that a moderately successful taste test,” Reyes declared. “I pronounce you ready to fuck, Ms Ryder.”

Breathing barely back under control, Sara pushed herself upright on her elbows. “And what about you, Mr Vidal? Are you ready?”

“Oh, when I’m with you, a moment’s notice is all I require.”

“Show me,” Sara purred. 

“You doubt my word? Tut tut!” 

“Show me now, Reyes!” she insisted. 

Reyes stood and began to unbutton his shirt. He took his time with each button, enjoying the impatience on his Sara’s face. 

“Do I have to use the knife on you?” she asked, starting to shuffle backwards along the bed, nearer to where he had thrown the knife. 

“Better not. One of us needs an intact set of clothing for later.” He grinned at the disgusted expression she pulled. 

“Sigh. Always the voice of reason. Stop teasing me, or I’ll start teasing back,” she threatened. 

“Now I’m frightened!” Reyes laughed, and worked his way rapidly through the remaining shirt buttons, leaving the shirt open. He kicked his boots off and unfastened his trousers, easing them slowly down over his hips. Sara’s gaze had been locked on his own until his straining cock was realised from its fabric prison. She swallowed, eyes wide, then looked back up at his face

“You seem… adequately… prepared,” she quipped.

Reyes grasped his erection and worked it slowly a few times, not taking his eyes away from hers. “Are you sure about that? Only adequately prepared?”

Sara crawled across the bed towards him. “Perhaps a closer inspection is necessary…”

“I thought we were skipping the appetizers, love.”

“I was clearly confused. Misremembering the quality of appetizers on offer. Also, the rest of the menu is new to me. It definitely needs a thorough reading.”  

She pressed a kiss against the glistening head of his cock. Reyes shivered with impatience. Sara ran her hands across his stomach, over his abs, up towards his nipples. More kisses followed, tracing the path of her hands. She lapped her tongue against his nipple, the same way she had lapped at his cock, all those weeks ago in Tartarus. It was gentle, it was arousing. It was too much. 

Reyes grabbed Sara by the waist and threw her back onto the bed, throwing himself next to her an instant later. He started kissing her greedily, his hand on Sara’s face so he could direct the movements of her head. Their tongues tangled together and Sara whimpered in need. She was writhing against him, pulling him closer and closer, her fingers digging into his flesh. Then Sara reached down to grasp his cock, quivering when Reyes groaned in response. Every touch of her naked skin against his was liquid pleasure charging through his veins. His need was building ever higher with every moment. Reyes felt he might climax from the heat of their kiss alone. It seemed Sara felt the same as her movements became more frantic, her moans of need louder. 

Reyes rolled onto his back, taking Sara with him, settling her astride his hips. He stared deep into her eyes, darkened by desire, caressed her swollen lips with his thumb. 

“Ride me, Sara,” he growled, using his hand to rub his hard-on against her warmth. 

She leaned forward, gnawed lightly at his nipple, then put her hand over his so they could together guide his cock inside. As she slid down over his length, Reyes threw his head back and roared with satisfaction. He had no words for pleasure this intense.

Sara moved slowly, almost hesitantly. She was biting her lower lip. Then she seemed to find her confidence, and her rhythm increased. Reyes held her by the hips, encouraging her to bear down more vigorously.  She was clenching around him, and he began to thrust upwards, driving himself into her softness again and again. The sounds Sara was making were driving him insane and he couldn’t contain himself any longer. Reyes shouted “Sara!” as he made a tremendous thrust into her and filled her with his seed. As she felt his climax, Sara cried his name and started to shudder, riding them both into blackness at frenzied speed until she fell forward, completely spent. 

They lay silent in each other’s arms, slick with sweat. In the quiet they could hear music drifting through the wall. 

“I take it this room isn’t soundproofed. That’s poor planning for a love nest,” Sara mumbled. “Where is that music coming from anyway?”

“The throne room,” Reyes replied.

Sara sat bolt upright. “Shit! Does that mean everyone in there could hear…?”

“You shrieking my name over and over again? I hope so. No one will dare doubt you are mine now.” Reyes smiled in satisfaction. He stretched, and more cushions tumbled to the floor. 

“My brother is in there!”

“Good. Means Scott will know I listened to his instructions,” he replied. 

“Instructions! What the fuck, Vidal?”

“No,  no, nothing about fucking. He simply told me to make sure I did right by you. I think an orgasm as incredible as that sounded counts.” 

Sara flopped down next to him again. “It was pretty incredible,” she admitted. “Yours?”

“Incredible, but I believe it has merely whetted my appetite, my love,” Reyes said, kissing her gently. “I don’t think my hunger will ever be fully satisfied. I have been starving for you since the day we met.”


End file.
